ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

This is a discussion on ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$) within On buying a car, part of the Team-BHP Advice category; Originally Posted by AXG
2012 Skoda Rapid Ambition Plus MT diesel (used for 24,000 km, seller asking Rs. 6.9L for ...

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AXG

2012 Skoda Rapid Ambition Plus MT diesel (used for 24,000 km, seller asking Rs. 6.9L for it) and a 2010 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 G petrol (used for 38,000 km, seller asking Rs. 6.5L for it). Both are in Bangalore, and both have been maintained fairly well, but from pricing tools (on this forum, Carwale, etc), it also appears the selling quotes for both are a bit above market. The Corolla nearly 75K - 1L more if these tools are accurate.

My usage is not a lot at present (approx 600-700 km per month if i do some weekend trips, lesser without) and I intend to use this car for at least 3-4 years before thinking of another change. I am hoping i can get inputs from forum members on the following -

1. Since the Altis is a segment higher, will the cost of ownership increase significantly over time? What is the general experience of forum members on maintaining their Corolla's over the years? Any major issues to watch out for? Any major expenses that typically arise? Inputs from Rapid owners on ownership costs would also help.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

I've been using a 2013 Nano as my city drive, and a 2010 Indigo as my long distance runner. I'm currently posted about 200km from my hometown, and I usually drive home for some weekends. That, plus my 10km daily commute makes for just over 1000kms a month.

We were planning on replacing the Indigo soon, probably with an Etios Diesel or a Liva. But, I recently learned that I will be getting a transfer home, which would cut down my travel time, and I'll be there for at least a year. This changed things a lot, because now, I don't really need a highway car. I am pretty comfortable with the Indigo in the city, and while the Nano has its good points, it really is a horrible car to drive if you love driving.

So, we're thinking of keeping the Indigo, which has covered about 65K in 5 years and is in great shape (no serious accidents, no panels replaced) till it touches 100K and selling off the Nano. I am more comfortable in bigger cars, and I was thinking of something with a bit of power, upwards of 100bhp, like a used Corolla, or a Civic. While I understand that Corollas are bullet proof and not really expensive for routine maintenance, how is the Civic? Or is there something else you can recommend? Low maintenance would be more of a priority than fuel costs.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Thanks to GTO for planting the idea of lateral upgrades. Thanks to Sudev, Samurai and many other forum members whose posts and responses to my queries helped in the decision.

Got a 2007 Grand Vitara AT in place of the Fusion 1.6L petrol. Sold off the Fusion once Grand Vitara was in our garage. Fortunately both vehicles were of the same vintage and approximately same running kms. Nett to nett paid 3.25 lakhs more. Will be spending another 50,000 to get the vehicle in condition as I want it.
Boy what an upgrade!!. Now able to go places that were previously out of reach. And the AT box means I do not have to tax my shoulder & knee for long distance trips.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekgk

I've been using a 2013 Nano as my city drive, and a 2010 Indigo as my long distance runner. I'm currently posted about 200km from my hometown, and I usually drive home for some weekends. That, plus my 10km daily commute makes for just over 1000kms a month.

We were planning on replacing the Indigo soon, probably with an Etios Diesel or a Liva. But, I recently learned that I will be getting a transfer home, which would cut down my travel time, and I'll be there for at least a year. This changed things a lot, because now, I don't really need a highway car. I am pretty comfortable with the Indigo in the city, and while the Nano has its good points, it really is a horrible car to drive if you love driving.

So, we're thinking of keeping the Indigo, which has covered about 65K in 5 years and is in great shape (no serious accidents, no panels replaced) till it touches 100K and selling off the Nano. I am more comfortable in bigger cars, and I was thinking of something with a bit of power, upwards of 100bhp, like a used Corolla, or a Civic. While I understand that Corollas are bullet proof and not really expensive for routine maintenance, how is the Civic? Or is there something else you can recommend? Low maintenance would be more of a priority than fuel costs.

A used Civic would be perfect, if you don't mind the fact that it's a discontinued model.

It's very reliable, maintenance costs are comparable to the Toyota and spare parts will be available for the next 7-8 years at the least. Not to mention that it's way more fun to drive than the Corolla.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

Thanks to GTO for planting the idea of lateral upgrades. Thanks to Sudev, Samurai and many other forum members whose posts and responses to my queries helped in the decision.

Got a 2007 Grand Vitara AT in place of the Fusion 1.6L petrol. Sold off the Fusion once Grand Vitara was in our garage. Fortunately both vehicles were of the same vintage and approximately same running kms. Nett to nett paid 3.25 lakhs more. Will be spending another 50,000 to get the vehicle in condition as I want it.
Boy what an upgrade!!. Now able to go places that were previously out of reach. And the AT box means I do not have to tax my shoulder & knee for long distance trips.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekgk

I am more comfortable in bigger cars, and I was thinking of something with a bit of power, upwards of 100bhp, like a used Corolla, or a Civic. While I understand that Corollas are bullet proof and not really expensive for routine maintenance, how is the Civic? Or is there something else you can recommend? Low maintenance would be more of a priority than fuel costs.

If low maintenance is the biggest factor, then go for a Corolla. It is also an easier car to live with than the Civic within the city. The Civic is reliable, but not as cheap to maintain as a corolla. If you are looking for a Civic, look out for post 2009 models since the notoriously soft rear dampers got stiffened then. Also consider a FFE and CAI since there is absolutely no low-end grunt making it annoying in city conditions. IMO the Civic does not present a strong enough case for itself as a fun to drive D1 segment Japanese sedan. That title ought to go to the Mitsubishi Cedia. Now before you get scared at the thought of a Mitsubishi, let me tell you that being a Jap car, you can take it to any reputed garage and have it serviced there easily. Parts are easily sourced for Japanese cars and even importing them doesn't cost as much as you think. The car is otherwise, anyway very solid and reliable. It handles so much better than a Civic and still comes with jaw-dropping rough-road-ability, has way more interior space and a much more tractable motor. So if absolute ease-to-maintain is your goal, go for a Corolla. If you want something reliable and fun but will need you to be a little more involved in the maintenance bit, go for a Cedia skip the Civic as it has no right even being in between the two unless you have a big budget for tasty mods

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous

Good choice, Sridhar.
Do you plan to CNG it?

CNG will totally eat up all the boot space. Plus it will increase the existing low speed flat spots in the torque curve.
When we decided to buy a Grand Vitara I had factored in the poor city mileage into the total ownership costs. We will be using this primarily for long drives, so I am ok with the running costs. We have a Santro for city errands.

I drove a 2011 version today with less than 40,000 kms on the ODO and was amazed by how much more I enjoyed this car compared to a similar Accord. Any reason why I shouldn't purchase it? How is the ongoing maintenance cost of this car, given that it was only available at the time as a CBU. Are they unreasonably pricey? I'm banking on the fact that being an imported Toyota it will be fairly bullet proof and parts won't unreasonably fail me. I don't mind the petrol factor since my commute on this vehicle is pretty limited (our Sunny clocks the workhorse mileage).

I'm quite keen and would keep this car for 3 - 4 years should I proceed with the deal.

Any inputs would be much appreciated.

PS: On a side note, my Civic is in such smashingly good state that most cars I drive don't make the cut in the driving experience. For instance, the Accord actually distinctly felt less well looked after. The Camry however was the only car that truly felt like an upgrade.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivekgk

I am more comfortable in bigger cars, and I was thinking of something with a bit of power, upwards of 100bhp, like a used Corolla, or a Civic. While I understand that Corollas are bullet proof and not really expensive for routine maintenance, how is the Civic? Or is there something else you can recommend? Low maintenance would be more of a priority than fuel costs.

If you need a car with low maintenance it is Corolla. But if you want to enjoy driving along with comfortable seats and cabin look no further than Civic. Maintenance costs are slightly higher as the vehicle is discontinued in 2012. However sourcing of parts is not difficult. Try to get an AT as it will be much more exciting than a manual as you get a paddle shift for spirited driving. Mileage might be a bit lower.

But it is a strict no for off roading.

You should get deals as low as 4-5 lakhs onwards.

I had listed my Civic for sale some time back. But decided against it and now planning to keep it forever.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

I have budget of 9-10 lakhs for a car , I have booked an Aspire AT. But I'm open to used cars. What would be a nice used car with the following requirements
1) Handling should be up with best, my benchmarks are Linea, Fiesta and BMW( previous gen)
2) should be automatic ( can be compromised if the clutch is light and less travel)
3) should be a sedan
I can only think of Fiesta AT and BMW, but Fiesta doesn't have a tiptronic mode. BMW available at the price range are from Delhi and Mumbai and it won't be easy to find a good one. I have seen few Fluence but have no idea about its handling.
Any inputs would be welcome, thanks in advance.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

I have budget of 9-10 lakhs for a car , I have booked an Aspire AT. But I'm open to used cars. What would be a nice used car with the following requirements
1) Handling should be up with best, my benchmarks are Linea, Fiesta and BMW( previous gen)
2) should be automatic ( can be compromised if the clutch is light and less travel)
3) should be a sedan
I can only think of Fiesta AT and BMW, but Fiesta doesn't have a tiptronic mode. BMW available at the price range are from Delhi and Mumbai and it won't be easy to find a good one. I have seen few Fluence but have no idea about its handling.
Any inputs would be welcome, thanks in advance.

You will get several used Civics and with your budget you should be able to upgrade suspension and whatever else you might want to.

Fluence is a brilliant car the petrol automatic is a solid choice as well; the engine revs nearly like it is a Japanese unit and the steering and cornering capabilities are really good as well. If you can get one in good nick, it should be a sweet deal

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

I can only think of Fiesta AT and BMW, but Fiesta doesn't have a tiptronic mode. BMW available at the price range are from Delhi and Mumbai and it won't be easy to find a good one. I have seen few Fluence but have no idea about its handling.

Why aren't you looking at the VW GT TSI? Carwale puts is at 9.69L new on road in Kochi, which is perfect for you budgetwise. It suits your handling and gearbox requirements to a T. Since you'be booked an Aspire AT, it looks like an obvious choice.

A new car fulfilling your requirements is preferable to a used one, right? BMW will bring its own set of maintenance related expenses that you can do without.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

I have budget of 9-10 lakhs for a car , I have booked an Aspire AT. But I'm open to used cars. What would be a nice used car with the following requirements
1) Handling should be up with best, my benchmarks are Linea, Fiesta and BMW( previous gen)
2) should be automatic ( can be compromised if the clutch is light and less travel)
3) should be a sedan
I can only think of Fiesta AT and BMW.

If you can get one, the vento tsi would be good option. Otherwise looks like the aspire is the best bet.

Not sure - but a 3-4 yr old Jetta diesel AT may come in 10L?

Not an expert on handling as compared to the fiesta and linea. Overall these seems like good packages.

Re: ARTICLE: The Beauty of Lateral Upgrades (Getting MORE CAR for LESS $$$)

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster

Why aren't you looking at the VW GT TSI?
A new car fulfilling your requirements is preferable to a used one, right? BMW will bring its own set of maintenance related expenses that you can do without.

Thank you Ishaanlan, Noopster and Rajeevraj.
I have driven my friends Polo GT tdi, I didn't like the steering feedback. Do the Polo and Vento TSI have different steering feel? I have test driven the Vento TSI which had a very light steering and it was when I asked the sales rep told it was a customers car which was given, so there was no PDI done or so. I stopped the test drive then, as I felt very bad about the whole thing. So I really don't remember how the whole thing was.
I made a booking thinking that our review would be out by 12th evening. I had booked Ford Figo like this for dad, but that time Team-bhp review was out early!